Pregnancy After Loss… Tips for Coping with Mixed Emotions
Getting pregnant again after a loss can be very exciting – but it can also bring along with it many not-so-great emotions that swirl around your head and cloud your brain. There can be so many emotions that it is hard to pinpoint what you are even actually feeling, and that can cause you to feel ‘stuck’. The bottom line is that pregnancy after a loss is a lot of different things and will make you feel a lot of different emotions – and it is difficult! Maybe it has been a long journey for you to get where you are. Maybe you have navigated IVF or infertility counseling and feel like you should now just feel only happiness. You are navigating through uncharted territory for yourself, so it’s okay that you don’t know what to do, and it’s okay to feel a little scared – or even a little terrified! It’s going to be important to recognize this and remember to be gentle with yourself because this is all new and cloudy. Here are some tips for coping with the mixed emotions you may be feeling!
Begin Identifying your Emotions…
There are a lot of things that you are feeling, and all of those emotions can set up camp in your brain – but there may be so many that’s it’s hard to pinpoint each one. This can perpetuate the confusion and ‘fogginess’ which can make you feel stuck. In order to process these emotions and come to terms with them, we need to be able to identify what they are! Grab a piece of paper or a journal, and just begin writing. Write down everything that’s flowing through your head, every thought, every word, every scenario, all of it! Once you’ve sufficiently cleared your head and written all of this down – read through it, and while you’re doing that, begin to identify the different emotions that you are seeing in your words! There may be grief, fear, guilt, anxiety, sadness, anger, excitement, joy, etc. Recognize all of them and validate all of them! Tell yourself, “It’s okay for me to feel this way” because it is! And once you are able to identify the different emotions you are feeling, you are better able to process and cope with them one-by-one.
Remember the loss, Celebrate the New Opportunity…
Pregnancy following loss or miscarriage is unique and specific kind of experience because you have so much to be joyful about – but you are also faced with the painful memories of ‘what might have been’. This is all normal, and part of the process – but knowing that doesn’t necessarily make it feel any better. This is your journey, and you have to walk this journey in a way that makes you feel safe, secure, and fulfilled. Therefore, when becoming pregnant following a loss, it can bring back a lot of the emotions you experienced when the loss was fresh. Remember your loss because it is part of you. Some people find it helpful to find a way to remember their baby that is no longer with them, but also celebrate the new opportunity, and allow yourself to feel excited and hopeful too!
Express Yourself and Talk to a Therapist that offers Marriage Counseling or Couples Therapy…
Throughout this journey, it will be incredibly important for you to express how you are feeling, and to keep your support network in the loop about how you are doing. Your support network are the people closest to you, and they want to help you navigate this unique experience/journey! It may also be beneficial to seek the support of a professional – such as, a therapist, that specializes in working with individuals that have experienced a pregnancy loss. The therapist or counselor can help guide you emotionally through this experience/journey and provide more in-depth tips for recognizing and processing your complex emotions! Between your support network and seeking the help of a professional, you will be well on your way to navigating these complex emotions and getting through this!
It also might be helpful to think of the benefit of seeing a marriage counselor or therapist that offers marriage counseling or couples therapy. Often the stress and trauma that can come after a pregnancy loss or miscarriage can have drastic impacts on the health of the couple and the marriage. Maybe you are feeling lonely or disconnected from your partner after a miscarriage. Know that there are options to support the couple during this challenging but also joyful time, such as marriage counseling or couples therapy.
How We can Help…
We care deeply about you and your unique experience, and we want to help in any way that we can! If you have experienced a pregnancy and infant loss in Florida we want to help you work through those emotions. Oftentimes, following a pregnancy/infant loss – individuals feel and experience a lot of anxiety as they are trying to get pregnant again.
If you feel like this is you, and you are looking for anxiety therapy in Miami, FL, marriage counseling in Miami, couples therapy in Miami or online counseling in Florida – we can help! Our team consists of therapists specialized in helping individuals and couples through pregnancy challenges and losses by offering individual therapy or couples counseling. This journey is so unique to you – and we want to be there for you! We are proud to announce that we not only offer anxiety counseling in Miami, FL as a face-to-face option – but we also offer, online anxiety therapy in Florida! This means that regardless of where you are located in Florida, we can help provide support.